“I think my head is going to explode.” And that generally sums up how I felt during the Educator Collaborative Spring Gathering yesterday—and that was just after the opening keynote! One after another, each session offered many things for me to think about. Yesterday was a day… Read More
All posts filed under “Blog”
PD in my PJs: A Morning with 10,000 Teachers (Part 1)
Yesterday I joined 10,000 other teachers from around the world for the Educator Collaborative’s Spring Gathering, a free virtual conference that brought together the talents of incredible educators who generously share their passions and expertise. So as I sat in the comfort of my family room—watching… Read More
Slice of Life 30: The Pencil Conference
Last summer, I attended my first ISTE conference. (In case you’re not familiar, ISTE stands for the International Society of Technology in Education.) At one of the sessions, educator and author Will Richardson shared his feelings about all the vendors in the convention exhibit hall—and those… Read More
Slice of Life 25: Lessons from Mario Kart
Colin, my five-year-old, loves playing Mario Kart. He wasn’t even a year old, barely walking, when he first held those Nintendo Wii controllers in his still chubby baby hands. Who knew that when we let him pretend play with his older brother that five years later—a… Read More
Slice of Life 23: Rethinking Time to Read
On my list of things to do this spring break was to plan out the next unit in both of my classes. In my AP Lang class, the time after spring break means a shift toward the AP exam. With only a few weeks left, I’m… Read More
Slice of Life 8: This I Believe
My students and I are in the midst of an argument unit, and this week we’re talking organization. When I think about where I was when I first started my career regarding teaching writing versus where I am now, I’m amazed at the difference. When I… Read More
Finding Moments Worth Writing About
It’s just after 7:20 a.m. and my students are settling into their seats. Although it’s early, this class is lively, with students generally willing to try out whatever their English teacher has planned for them that day. This morning, I pass out cream-colored quarter sheets of… Read More
Steps Toward an Inquiry-based Classroom
For years, whenever my students and I read a novel, I would pass out a study guide with a list of questions for each chapter. By giving students the study guide questions―questions I wrote―I could make sure that students wouldn’t miss anything in their reading.… Read More
Letting Go (and Getting Students to Do the Talking)
Although this is my 15th year of teaching, I have always struggled with discussions. It’s not that my students and I don’t have engaging or thought-provoking discussions. We do. But I often put the pressure on myself to lead (dictate?) our discussions, and I’ve never been confident that… Read More
Fostering a Reading/Writing Life Using Independent Reading
Presented on October 16, 2015, at the PA Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (PCTELA) Annual Conference, Harrisburg, PA. CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRESENTATION. Feel free to browse this site for additional materials and ideas. Much of the information shared in the presentation is… Read More
Tricia Ebarvia 
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